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Prophecy
A prophecy is a prediction made by a Seer— someone with the ability to see into the future. They can take many different forms, but are often rendered in cryptic language that does not allow easy or direct interpretation. The words of prophecies - as well as ghost-like images of the Seers who made them - may be stored in spun-glass spheres referred to as Prophecy Records. Although prophecies often hold great importance, they can also cause significant harm if interpreted incorrectly. For example, if a person believes that they are the subject of a prophecy, they may go to great lengths to ensure that it comes true (if positive) or take great pains to avoid it (if negative). These efforts can have a ripple effect that harms innocent bystanders- simply for being close to the subject, or if the subject believes those bystanders are obstacles to be overcome in their pursuits. Yet in the end, it may turn out that such efforts were fruitless, since that person was not the true subject of the prophecy in the first place. Making a Prophecy Although prophecy is considered a form of divination, there are key differences between true prophecy and more traditional "fortune-telling" methods such as tea leaf reading, palmistry, or crystal-gazing. Unlike those methods, prophecy has no technical procedures that can be followed, and the art is not even something that can be actively taught or practised. In most cases, a Seer begins reciting a prophecy involuntarily, entering into a trance-like state and uttering the words in a distinctly different voice from their own. If Sybill Trelawney's experience is any indication, the Seer is left exhausted afterwards and may not even remember making the prophecy. On at least one occasion after reciting a prophecy, Trelawney assumed she had simply "dozed off". While some witches and wizards - such as Minerva McGonagall and, to some extent, Albus Dumbledore - harbour a general distrust of divination, true prophecies are not lightly dismissed, even by sceptics. The truly wise know that the words of prophecies always hold importance, even if that importance is not easily or immediately apparent. Tycho Dodonus' prophecies Tycho Dodonus was an acclaimed Seer whose prophecies were often rendered in poetic verse. At some point before 1927, his prophecies were collected into a book entitled The Predictions of Tycho Dodonus. After the obscurial Credence Barebone wreaked havoc on New York City, people began to suspect that he was in fact Corvus Lestrange, the long-lost son of the pure-blood Lestrange family. Prophecy 20 of Dodonus' book was cited as evidence for this belief, though it was eventually proven by Leta Lestrange that this prophecy could not refer to her half-brother, as she had inadvertently killed him herself many years before. Sybill Trelawney's prophecies First prophecy Trelawney's first known prophecy was witnessed by Albus Dumbledore in 1980, foretelling the birth of a boy who would be capable — though not assured — of defeating Lord Voldemort, that Voldemort would "mark him as his equal", and that either the boy or Voldemort would ultimately kill the other. This boy was revealed to be Harry Potter. Harry was completely unaware of the Prophecy until it was revealed to him by Dumbledore after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Second prophecy Trelawney's second known prophecy was witnessed by Harry Potter in 1994 — it foretold Peter Pettigrew's imminent return to Voldemort's service. Ministry of Magic's records Main Article: Prophecy Record A Prophecy Record is a spun-glass, spherical object used to record a prophecy. The orbs contain swirling mist and are kept in the Hall of Prophecies inside the Department of Mysteries. Many were subsequently destroyed in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Only those mentioned in the Prophecy can remove the record from the Hall. Battle of the Department of Mysteries Main Article: Battle of the Department of Mysteries Baited by false visions of Sirius Black suffering under torture at the Ministry of Magic, instilled within his mind by Voldemort's use of Legilimency, Harry Potter, along with Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ginevra Weasley and Luna Lovegood rushed to the Ministry in the hopes of rescuing Sirius. Using the details from Harry's vision to guide them, the group located the Hall of Prophecies, where Ron found a prophecy record inscribed with Harry's name. It read : :S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D :Dark Lord :and (?) Harry Potter S.P.T are the initials of Sybill Patricia Trelawney; A.P.W.B.D, the initials of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. A question mark (?) was used in place of the as-of-then uncertain subject of the prophecy. Unbeknownst to the group, Death Eaters lay in wait for Harry to retrieve the Prophecy Record. Harry, seeing his name was on it, took it, causing the Death Eaters to reveal themselves. They subsequently chased the group through the Department of Mysteries, in an attempt to steal the Prophecy Record. During the following violence, the Record fell from Harry's pocket, was kicked away accidentally by Neville, and it was broken. Behind the scenes *In , an echo of the prophecy, told by Sybill Trelawney, is heard while Harry is holding it. In the book, though, he hears it from Professor Dumbledore. *Also in the film; instead of the Prophecy breaking while Neville is holding it, it is broken when Lucius Malfoy is struck by Sirius Black in front of the Veil. Lucius attempts to catch the falling orb but fails, and it smashes on the rocks. *Also in the film, the prophecy concerning Harry and Lord Voldemort is shortened from that made in the book. *In the video game version of Order of the Phoenix, the prophecy is destroyed when Harry gives it to Sirius, who deliberately drops it. *In , the wording of the prophecy related to Peter Pettigrew's escape and rejoining with Voldemort was changed. Appearances * * * * * * * * * * * * *Harry Potter: The Wand Collection Notes and references de:Prophezeiung fr:Prophétie fi:Ennustus pl:Przepowiednia ru:Пророчество pt-br:Profecia Category:Prophecies